Haunted Mind
by 10th Muse
Summary: Emily and Reid are hunting a Serial Killer in PA, in a building when they were separated. Emily thought she was following Reid but it turned out to be someone else, someone unexpected! Happy Halloween! Or is it?


Criminal Minds - Haunted Mind

.

Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid were on an assignment in Eerie, Pennsylvania while the rest of the team were working on a serial-team case in Brandon, Florida.

A couple of teens had found a decomposed body; it was the third one in two weeks.

The pair had been investigating a case when they stumbled onto an abandoned office building.

The UnSub had kidnapped another young woman.

Emily determined that she not be his fourth victim.

"Spencer," Emily called out as they decided to split up and searched the building when they heard noises. "Did you find anything?"

No answer.

"Emily…" She heard a distant male voice called out. "Emily."

She turned around and followed the voice, "Reid, is that you?"

No answer.

"Emily, where are you?"

"I'm on the south side, Reid." She replied as she waved her flashlight trying to catch a glimpse of the tall and lanky agent. "Where are you? I can't see you."

"Emily, where are you? You left me."

Now the voice was behind her, so she turned around and began to follow, "Reid! Come on, stop playing around! Where are you?"

As she swept the hallway before her, she thought she saw a figure standing at the end, "Reid? Is that you?"

When she shone into the area, the figure was gone.

"Damn it, Spencer!" She called out as she began to walk over to where she spotted the figure, "Stop playing…we're not kids anymore. We have a job to do."

"Why did you leave me Emily?" The voice was trailing behind her again.

Frustrated and a tiny bit angry, "Spencer Reid! When I find you, I'll make sure you and Luke will have a hand-to-hand for two straight weeks!"

Again, she saw a tall dark figure at the other end of the hallway.

Emily frowned, "What the heck? How is that possible? How did he get there from here that fast?"

She began to run after him, "Reid! Don't move…not one step! Wait for me!" She called out.

But as soon as she reached it, there was no body; it was another corner of a hallway, it seemed this building was made into an office with many intricate hallways, almost resembling a maze.

Panting, she shook her head, "What is going on? All these doors are locked, there's no way he knew this place." She panned her flashlight again, making sure she had not missed anything. "No…nothing, just walls and locked doors." She jiggled the knob and it didn't turn.

The guard who had led them in had told them everything was secured.

"Emily, help me."

She whipped her head quickly as the voice was right behind her, whispering close in her ear! "Who is it? Who's here?" She waved her flashlight about her, and suddenly caught something…a face! "No! It can't be!" She uttered. As she waved her flashlight again, it was gone.

"Not you…" She blurted out in confusion.

"Over here…" the voice called, and this time she saw the figure again!

"Stephen!" She called out. Then she shook her head; it couldn't be, Stephen Walker is dead. Killed in a car accident, caused by Mr. Scratch.

Mr. Scratch had arranged for the accident. Stephen is dead, they had buried him. She had attended the funeral with the team.

Why was he here?  
Emily did not believe in ghosts or anything supernatural; everything has an explanation.

 _But how do you explain seeing him?_ Her voice of reason asked her.

"Hurry, Emily! There's no time!" The voice called out to her again. "Over here!"

She turned to the voice and followed automatically, trusting her instinct.

When she rounded another corner, she suddenly stopped; she heard labored breathing and a whimper.

"Please…help her, Emily."

Taking another step, she saw their UnSub who was bending over a woman.

"FBI! Kenneth Jones, put your weapon down and step away from her!" Emily called out as she aimed her Glock on his head.

The UnSub, Kenneth Jones, slowly spun his body to face her completely and smiled menacingly at Emily, "Ah, the F.B.I. saving the day." He tilted his head slightly to the left.

Emily knew he was trying to distract her but long-trained, she was aware that one split second mistake might cost the young woman, Cara Mabe's life.

Realizing that Emily was not going to be fooled, he stopped smiling and grew angry, "Alright, Agent, I'll put my knife down."

He turned to stare at Cara and chuckled, "Well, well, Cara my lovely, perhaps we'll rendezvous another day?"

All she could do was whimpered as she lay on the floor, her hands tied behind her and her mouth gagged.

"Nothing to say? Cat got your …tongue?" He giggled. "Get it? Cat got your tongue…I …hmmm, never mind; you'll understand later." He turned his attention back to Emily. "Here you are, Agent." With that, he dropped his knife, it clanged on the bare floor loudly.

"Kick it away from you, Kenneth." Emily directed.

He sighed loudly, "Women…always in charge." He shrugged as he did as he was told and kicked the knife towards Emily.

As the knife moved towards Emily, she quickly stepped onto it, stopping its motion.

"Okay," she continued. "Lay on the ground, stomach down with your hands behind your head."

"More instructions, Agent?" He grinned maliciously at Emily and chuckled. "Mmmm, I'll look forward to when you search me much more personally." He gave her a once over, very slowly and laughed again. "You are pretty, Agent…?"

"Just get down, Kenneth." Emily was getting tired of his crap.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say, boss." He smiled as he lay down.

Counting to five seconds, Emily moved slowly towards him, her weapon continually trained on his head, and when she stood right above him, she removed a pair of handcuffs from behind her back and began to cuff his wrists as she read his Miranda rights.

"Emily?"

She turned around and saw Reid watching her in amazement.

"How did you find him?" He asked as he shone his flashlight at Jones.

Emily shook her head, "You'd not believe me…I thought I saw you down the hallways at first, and then, I saw Stephen, and he led me here to them."

Reid gave her a strange look, "Them? Stephen?"

She chuckled uneasily, "Yeah, I know…believe it or not, I did see him or a vision of him." She waved about her.

"You saw Stephen?" He asked her again. "But he's dead, Emily."

She saw disbelief in his eyes, "I know, Spencer. I can't explain but I really saw him and he led me here." She indicated their UnSub. "And Cara."

Reid looked at his victim and frowned, "She's dead, Emily."

Emily bent down and examined the body and saw that he was right, "But…she was alive! She…" Emily looked astounded.

Reid looked sadly at Emily, "She seemed to be dead for some time already; Kenneth Jones had killed her some time ago, Emily."

"But she was alive just a moment ago!" He bent down and noticed something in her mouth and pried it opened and saw that it was stuffed with a cloth. Pulling it out, Reid saw that Jones had cut out her tongue.

Jones began to laugh, "Hahaha…she cried and screamed." He continued to laughed in his ghoulish laughter, "And it was deliciously yummy…raw."

Emily and Reid stared at him with disgust.

"Let's get him out of here." Emily said.  
Reid nodded as they pulled Jones up to his feet and together they escorted him out of the building.

…

As the two agents watched the coroner wheeled Cara Mabe's body out in a body bag and into their vehicle, Emily unconsciously looked up the building and thought she saw a dark figure at the window and knew it was Stephen staring down and waving at her.

"Is there any significance to this building that tied Stephen here?" She made a call to Garcia.

 _Oh, you are sooo creepy, Emily love_ , Garcia replied on the speaker. Emily and Reid exchanged looks.

 _Well, as a matter of fact, our dearly departed friend, God rest his godly soul; a few years ago, he made an investment in a company called GenCoTech which coincidentally bought the building you're investigating. But when the company began to flounder and his friend who owned the company was syphoning the funds, Stephen confronted him and demanded his money. His so-called friend told him there was no money in the investment left. Poor Stephen was heart-broken and turned in his friend to the authorities._

Emily frowned, "This must be right before he joined the fugitive task force."

 _Er, no and kind of, Garcia replied. No, he was in the task force at the time, and kind of when he was because he was contemplating of retiring from the agency if the investment went north._

"And as we can see, it tanked." Emily concluded. "That may be why he decided to join the BAU team when I offered him the opportunity."

 _Bingo,_ Garcia replied. _This was going to be his nest egg for his family._

"Thanks, PG." Emily nodded to her friend before she ended the phone call.

Turning to Reid, "This must be his way of protecting the building."

"Does he still have an interest in it?" Reid frowned as he stared at the building. "Not that I believe in the supernatural."

Emily stared at him, "Whether you believe in…ghost or not, he led us to Kenneth Jones."

"I guess." Reid shrugged. "What is his interest in this building? Why is he still here?"

Just then, Emily's phone rang; it was the team in Florida, they needed them. "Reid and I are wrapping up here, we'll be down there in a couple of hours, guys." She turned to Spencer, "I'd love to stay and find out but ghost hunting is not my thing. Ready?"

He nodded and together they headed towards their vehicle, but just as Reid was getting into the passenger side, he sensed that he was being watched and looked outward and saw two faint figures standing by the building.

"Reid?" Emily called out as she started the ignition. "Are you getting in?"

Taking his eyes off and he bent down to get into the passenger seat, and he turned towards the building, the two figures had vanished.

"Something the matter?" Emily was staring at him.

"No…nothing." He turned to her, unsure of what he had saw, shaking his head. "Nothing, everything is fine."

Emily nodded as she backed away, "Okay, case close here, let's get out of here and get with the rest of the team."

He nodded as he looked ahead of him.

Emily glanced at the rear-view mirror, out of habit, and her heart almost jumped!

She blinked and looked again but the image was gone!

"What the?" she muttered.

Reid turned to her, "What did you said?"

She shook her head quickly, "Nothing…I thought I saw something…but it's nothing."

She peered at the rear-view mirror again and saw nothing as she kept driving out of the area and into the interstate.

….


End file.
